‘Stop That Smiling,’ ‘Unacceptable’ — Commanders Fans Have No Patience for Stefon Diggs’ ‘Phony’ Excuse After Costing Commanders in Week 1
· Yahoo Sports
The Washington Commanders suffered a narrow 24-22 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday. One costly mistake by wide receiver Stefon Diggs hurt the Commanders’ chances of winning the season opener.
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In a postgame interview, Diggs appeared to address that mistake in a surprisingly lighthearted manner, which promptly divided fans.
Commanders’ Stefon Diggs Under Fire for Postgame Attitude
Diggs had hugged the goalpost while celebrating a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Eagles, resulting in a 15-yard penalty with nearly 10 minutes remaining.
Diggs took full responsibility, saying he simply “forgot” about the rule prohibiting players from hugging the goalpost.
“God, as soon as I wrap my arms around it, I was like, ‘Oh, I forgot,'” Diggs said. “Back in the day, I’ve been playing for a long time, you used to be able to do that. So, you know, update on the rules. I’ve been in the game a long time. I gotta be better.”
The league enforces penalties for players making contact with the goalpost because such contact can potentially knock it out of position.
However, fans were less focused on Diggs’ penalty and more frustrated by his relaxed reaction in the interview. Many quickly took to social media to voice their displeasure.
“Stop that smiling,” an angry fan wrote.
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“That penalty may have cost us the win. Unacceptable no matter the circumstance,” another remarked.
“Smiling and laughing at it. Bro doesn’t give a [expletive] about football anymore,” one comment read.
“Why is he so happy and smiling?” another fan asked. “He’s so phony,” a fifth fan wrote.
In the aftermath, Commanders reporter Nicki Jhabvala highlighted, “It actually changed in 2014, the year before he was drafted: the Jimmy Graham Rule,” hinting that Diggs should have remembered the rule.
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The penalty became even more significant in the final minutes, when Washington ultimately needed a two-point conversion to tie the game.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn later said the team would have certainly attempted the two-point play had Diggs not committed the penalty, per ESPN.
This is also not the first time Diggs has faced consequences for hugging the goalpost. The star receiver was previously penalized and fined for a similar celebration in 2017 while playing for the Minnesota Vikings.
Diggs is now a member of the Commanders after signing a one-year deal with Washington this offseason. Last season, he played for the New England Patriots and finished the year ranked No. 8 in PFN’s Wide Receiver Impact Rankings.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.